Citi Field officially opened for baseball today, but hardly anyone was there to watch the game.
Fans broke the seal on the Mets’ much-ballyhoed new ballpark, but the Amazin’s weren’t on the field. Baseball lovers had to settle for another team from Queens — the St. John’s University Red Storm, which lost 6-4 to college rival Georgetown.
“It’s great to be a part of it,” said former Mets reliever John Franco, a St. Johns alumni who wore a bright red St. John’s jersey under his blue and orange Mets jacket.
“It’s a beautiful stadium. No matter where you sit you have a great view of the game. There’s more open space, more amenities. It’s more fan friendly.”
Fans said they were just as impressed with the cavernous rotunda, which honors Jackie Robinson, as they were with the new field of dreams.
“I feel like I’m on vacation,” said Todd Coffey, 26, of Seaford . “I don’t feel like I’m in New York. The concourse area is huge. It’s nothing like Shea. You can move around and the field is beautiful.”
Fans will have to wait until the April 13 home opener against San Diego or this week’s exhibition games against the Boston Red Sox to hear the actual crack of a bat. Instead, the ping of aluminum filled the misty air.
“I’m extremely excited,” said Marc Schwartz, 18, a senior at Syosset High School. “I’ve been following the construction on the web site for the last three years. It is absolutely stunning.”